The State of UX in the UK by Nick Fine

The State of UX in the UK

Nick Fine

UX Bournemouth 2016

@doctorfine

My UX Journey1996 BSc (Hons) Psychology

2004 MSc Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics

2009 PhD Human Computer Interaction, Personalisation

2010 User Experience Executive, LV=

2011 User Experience Consultant, Redweb

2013 Head of User Experience, SAS/MSLGROUP

2014 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Virgin Media

2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Camelot

2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), VML London

1 POINT SAMPLE

ENGLAND 2016

ENGLAND 2016

(ABOUT TEATIME)

A CIVIL WAR ISRAGING

art director

developer

creative director

visual designer

UX architect

UX consultant

UX researcher

UX UI

UX UI

UX ARCHITECT

UX DESIGNER

UX

How did it come to this?

SKILLS SHORTAGE1

DEMAND > SUPPLY• “We need UX now” • Limited UX education

• Seniority takes time• Limited mentorships• Rare research skills

• “Putting the customer at the heart…”• Trendy/buzzword

SKILLS GAP

COOL PROJECTS

FREELANCE DAYRATES INCREASE

UX IS COOL

UX IS CASH

+ =

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE

UX

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE

UX

visual designers

developersart directors

creative directors

project managers

account managers

recruiters

social media managers

marketeers

technical directors

How did it come to this?

2

SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION

OF UX

“the feeling I get when I use something”

“the way the screen is designed”

“making sure computers are easy to use”

“the experience you have when interacting with technology”

“everything related to the experience from first contact to ongoing

support”

The problem is:

What is UX?

Name another career or industry where the area has no clear definition ?

The problem is:

What is UX?

Why is a commonly accepted definition of UX so important?

• Talent management Team building nightmares

• Role definition Specialisation v generalisation

• Project practicalities Matching skills to projects

• Ensure user centricity It’s all about the user

User Experience

user experience

User Experience

user experience

The profession

The sensation/feeling

Psychology

psychology

The profession

The sensation/feeling

I have experiences, I can do UX

I have a mind, I can do psychology

I have a hammer, I can do carpentry

I have a brain, I can do neurosurgery

I have a photoshop, I can do design

I have Axure, I can do UX

How did it come to this?

SUBJECTIVEDEFINITION

OF UX

SKILLS SHORTAGE

+1 2

= new people are redefining UX according to their own needs

= hybridisation of roles

DESIGNER + UX = UX DESIGNER

DEVELOPER + UX = UX DEVELOPER

PROJECT MANAGER + UX = UX PROJECT MANAGER

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER + UX = UX SOCIAL STRATEGIST

The Recent History of UX

HUMAN FACTORS

ENGINEERS

INFORMATIONARCHITECTS

USER EXPERIENCE

CONSULTANTS

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010 2016

USER RESEARCHERS

UX DEVELOPERS

UX STRATEGISTS

UX PROJECT MANAGERS

DEM

AN

D E

XCEE

DS

SUPP

LY

UX/UI

USER EXPERIENCE

RESEARCHERS

The Evolution of the

Wireframe Monkey

“UX” “DESIGN”

“UX” “DESIGN”

“UX” “DESIGN”

“UX” “DESIGN”

“UX” “DESIGN”

DESIGNERS GET SICK AND TIRED

OF COLOURING IN UX WIREFRAMES

UX

DESIGN

UX / UI IS BORN

DURING THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE MOST MONEY WEREN’T THOSE DIGGING FOR GOLD BUT THOSE SELLING PICKAXES AND SHOVELS

1848–1855

Completely anecdotal, 2016

UX UX/UI• User centric • Practitioner centric

• Facilitator and investigator • Expert

V

• Obsessed by tools• Obsessed by behaviour

• Insight driven solution • Best practice driven solution

• Involves users throughout • No user involvement

The UX Recession: UCD to DCD

HUMAN FACTORS

ENGINEERS

INFORMATION ARCHITECTS

USER EXPERIENCE

CONSULTANTS

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010 2016

USER RESEARCHERS

UX/UI DESIGNERS

UX DEVELOPERS

UX STRATEGISTS

UX PROJECT MANAGERS

UX PRODUCT MANAGERSD

EM

AN

D E

XC

EE

DS

SUP

PLY

USER CENTRIC DESIGN

DESIGNER CENTRIC DESIGN

PROTECTINGUSER CENTRICITY

 UX Wireframing

UX UI

Information Architecture

Accessibility

Usability

Interaction Design UX =

the process of creating

optimal interaction

 UX =

 UX =

Requirement GatheringCompetitor & Market AnalysisPersona DevelopmentService Evaluation

ScampingWireframingPrototyping

User testing• Local (lab based) • Remote (web based)

RESEARCH

INTERACTION DESIGN

VALIDATION

Requirement GatheringCompetitor & Market AnalysisPersona DevelopmentService Evaluation

ScampingWireframingPrototyping

User testing• Local (lab based) • Remote (web based)

RESEARCH

INTERACTION DESIGN

VALIDATION

 UX =

?

2016

THE USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE UX PROCESS

2016

THE USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE UX PROCESS

THE USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE UX PROCESS

What does this mean?• Designer centricity • UX by proxy • Unused and unloved • No local insight • Poor performance • Bye bye ROI

= Good looking, awful UX

How can you put the customer

at the heart of everything you do

if you don’t talk to them?

WE NEED TO GET BACK TO USER

CENTRIC UX

THE FUTURE

UX ARCHITECT

RESEARCHDESIGN

SOLUTIONINSIGHT

‘FULL SERVICE’ USER EXPERIENCE PRACTITIONER

UX RESEARCHER UX DESIGNER

SPLIT ROLES: RESEARCH INFORMS DESIGN

RESEARCH DESIGN

SOLUTIONINSIGHT

USER CENTRIC, FULL SERVICE PRACTITIONERS

BECOME RARE AND FOUND ONLY AT USER CENTRIC AGENCIES ONLY

DEMAND

UX/UI BECOMES UX DESIGN

FULL SERVICE PRACTITIONERS FIND THEIR RESEARCH SKILLS ARE VALUABLE AND IN HIGH

DEMAND

UX ARCHITECT

UX CONSULTANT

UX RESEARCHER

UX DESIGNER

UX/UI

UX DESIGNER

UX PSYCHOLOGIST

SERVICE DESIGNER

?

ROLE EVOLUTION?

DESIGNER

?

TAKE AWAYS

FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITY

Challenge designer centric approaches

How do you know that?

How did it test?

FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITYEducate and demonstrate

Lab sessions for TRANSFORMATION

https://vimeo.com/134560844

FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITYEducate and demonstrate

• research strategy • test scripting • information architecture • workshop facilitation • persona development • remote user testing • lab based user testing • ethnography • insight report writing

GAIN AND EXTEND RESEARCH SKILLS

GAIN AND EXTEND RESEARCH SKILLS• Participate in user testing sessions

• Seek out research-specific mentorship

• Learn from Psychology graduates (BSc not BA)

• Get into Psychology and HCI literature searches

GAIN AND EXTEND RESEARCH SKILLSOverlooked Goldmines:

DESIGN v SCIENCETHIS ISN’T ABOUT

SCIENCE

DESIGN

DESIGN v SCIENCETHIS ISN’T ABOUT

DESIGN + SCIENCETHIS IS ABOUT

SCIENCE DESIGN

DESIGN + SCIENCETHIS IS ABOUT

DESIGN + SCIENCE =

KILLER UX

Nick Fine

@doctorfine

nick@nickster.com

Thanks!